Database managers, typically referred to as database administrators or DBAs, oversee and maintain large databases of information for businesses and organizations. Database managers work with top-level management to understand the information needs of a company, plan for the future and ensure that data analysts can easily access information in the database. Candidates typically have at least a bachelor's degree in information management or a related subject and several years of work experience before assuming the responsibilities of a DBA.

Average and Median Salaries

Across the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that database managers earned an average annual salary of $77,350 in 2011. This translates to an approximate hourly wage of just over $37. The median-earning half of DBAs reported annual incomes ranging from just under $56,000 to nearly $97,000. The lowest-paid 10 percent of database managers earned $42,000 or less per year, while the highest-paid 10 percent made $117,000 or more per year.

High-Paying Industries

While the reported average income for all DBAs was just over $77,000 per year in 2011, those employed in certain industries earned significantly more. Database managers in computer manufacturing earned the highest average salary, nearly $102,000 per year. DBAs in communications equipment manufacturing averaged nearly $97,000 per year, and those employed by automobile dealers and natural gas distribution companies averaged about $94,500 annually. By comparison, database managers working for colleges and universities reported some of the lowest average earnings, about $68,000 a year.

Pay by Region

Figures collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2011 indicate that DBAs working in the West and the Northeast generally earned the highest average salaries in the nation. The highest rates of pay were reported by those in New Jersey and Virginia, who averaged nearly $87,000 per year. Those in Washington, Delaware and New Hampshire made about $84,000 per year. The lowest rates of pay in the nation were reported by Montana, Mississippi and West Virginia, where database managers averaged between $52,000 and $54,000 per year.

Occupational Outlook

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment among database managers is expected to be favorable in the coming decade. The bureau predicts an employment growth rate of 31 percent between 2010 and 2020, over twice the expected average rate for the economy as a whole. Applicants who hold a master's in business administration as well as an undergraduate degree in information management may experience the best job prospects.